Chapter 1: Birth
Darkness. That was all I could see. I didn?t know who I was or WHAT I was.
?Strange. Where did that come from? Of course I?m a human!? I thought to myself.
But something told me that there were other people-like things out in the world.
Suddenly, a light broke through my dark world. I found myself in front of a shrine-like building which was surrounded by trees. From where I was, there were stone steps leading up to it. I looked up; the sun was high in the sky. I looked down; I was wearing a pure white t-shirt, a pair of red baggy pants, and black sneakers. Feeling a weight on my head, I took off what was a red baseball cap with a red and white yin-yang orb neatly printed on the front. On the inside of the cap were a few strands of black hair.
?Okay. So I have black hair.? I thought.
I put the cap back on my head. It seemed natural to have it on. With nothing else better to do, I climbed up the stone steps towards the shrine. When I got to the top, there was a girl there. She had long black hair tied into a crimson, white-trimmed ribbon, her sideburns in two red and white tubes hanging the sides of her head. Her eyes were a warming chocolate brown. She wore a classical Shrine Maiden outfit with a red and white dress and white sleeves that hung from her arms, a golden neckerchief, and a pair of red shoes with white socks. She was sitting at a table in front of the shrine, drinking tea.
She turned her head and noticed me. She spat out her tea and rose from her futon. She came up close to me and stared into my eyes, an expression of bewilderment on her face.
?I?m sorry, but why are you staring at me?? I asked her, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze.
My voice was a teenaged boy?s voice, but it carried a small hint of hidden power.
?Do you know who you are? Or where you are?? she asked me.
?I?m afraid not, Miss.? I said.
?Well, that is what I expected to hear.? She said with a tone of satisfaction.
Suddenly, she did a backflip away. She moved into a battle stance and summoned a wooden rod with paper seals on it in a flash of light in her right hand. In her left hand she summoned a bunch of cards with red and white yin-yang symbols printed on them.
?Prepare yourself, Novelist!? she yelled.
And she flew into the sky and started firing the cards at me. I desperately tried to dodge them, but one of the scathed my shoulder. It drew blood. Those cards were much more durable than they looked.
As I continued to evade the cards, the girl yawned and she said, ?I was expecting an attack from you by now.?
Suddenly, a notebook and a pen appeared in my hands. Without even thinking, I opened the book and started writing.
When I was finished, I read aloud, ?The first summoning had fox ? like velvet legs, a tail that split in two at the end, a pair of cat ? like violet ears, a fox?s face, a thin, nimble body, and a precious jewel on the forehead.?
Suddenly, the paper that I had written that on flew out of the notebook and landed on the ground. A flash of light enveloped it, and the light started to take a shape. When it had finished, the light shattered, revealing the very same creature I had written about!
?Espeon!? it cried.
?Well, looks like you finally got it.? A female voice said in my head.
?Telepathy.? I thought.
?Just simply give me an order and I shall obey.? Espeon said in my head.
?So, the Novelist?s power has been awakened. Very well. Then let your first Bullet Hell Game BEGIN!? the girl said.
Almost immediately, Espeon and I were transported to another dimension that was completely red. The girl from before was still flying.
?Dream Sign ?Duplex Barrier?!? she yelled.
Suddenly, she put two waves of energy in the shape of squares around herself and started to fire her cards again. But, when they hit the barriers, the disappeared. But just when I thought I was safe, the cards appeared out of the edge of the barrier and started firing at me at double their original speed. I put my hands in front of my face to defend myself. But, not feeling the blow, I saw Espeon putting up a shield of light around us, protecting us from the cards.
?We must make a comeback!? she yelled in my head.
?Right.? I nodded.
I held my hands out and the same cards that the girl was using started to sprout from my hands, hurling themselves at the girl.
?Espeon! Psybeam!? I ordered Espeon without thinking.
?Right.? She called off the shield and hurled a multi-colored beam of light out of the jewel on her forehead.
The moment both attacks hit the girl, there was an explosion and Espeon and I were transported back to the shrine.
A clapping was heard. We turned back to the shrine entrance, and saw the girl sitting on her futon and clapping as if nothing happened.
?Bravo, Novelist. Bravo!? the girl said.
?Okay, so first you tried to kill me and now you?re applauding me for beating you?? I asked her.
?Oh, that?s the rule of Bullet Hell Games. The winner gets to have his or her demands from the loser.? The girl said, ?So, what is your demand??
?I simply wish to know your name.? I said.
?Yeah! You could?ve at least told us your name before you started to attack!? Espeon said.
?Well, if you must know, I am Reimu Hakurei. And you are?? she asked.
?Like I told you before, I don?t know.? I said sadly.
?Well, how about I pick a name for you?? Reimu offered.
?Okay.? I said.
?Hmm?..how about?..Sakusei-sha?? she said.
?Hmmm, I like it!? I said.
?So, Sakusei-sha it is! Is it okay if I just call you Sakusei for short?? she asked.
?Sure, Reimu.? I said.
?Now, would you like some tea before you go out?? she asked me.
?Sure.? I nodded.
Suddenly, a light started to encase Espeon.
?Espeon! What?s happening to you?!? I exclaimed, worried about my first friend.
?I?m going back into the words you wrote me. Don?t worry, you?ll be able to see me again. Just think about me and I?ll appear by your side again.? She telepathically told me.
She rubbed up against my leg and said,
?I hope you?ll summon me again soon.?And with that, the light completely enveloped her. Her shape went shrank back, only this time in the form of a card with her picture neatly printed on both sides.
?Why did she change into a card?? I wondered aloud, picking up Espeon?s card.
?Sakusei, I think,? Reimu grinned, ?You just made your first Spell Card.?
?Spell Card?? I wondered aloud.
?Yeah. They?re cards that Danmaku users summon to start a bullet hell game. Like my Duplex Barrier Spell Card I used in our battle, that was a Spell Card.? Reimu explained, ?Anyway, would you like some tea now??
?Sure. We can talk over some things over tea.? I said, sitting down on the futon opposite to Reimu.
